A series of Royai
by Silvery Mist
Summary: A collection of random Royai stories.
1. Photographs

**A/N**: For those of you who follow my other stories, don't worry I haven't abandoned them. I've just been far too busy to sit down and really work on them. I've also been getting a plethora of plot ideas for short stories lately and these drabbles take less time to write which is why I've been writing these instead of my other stuff. I'm also putting these drabbles all together into one collection rather than keep them all separate like I had in the past.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters.

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**Photograph:**

The phone rang for the third time.

Roy ignored it. He knew exactly who was calling and he really wasn't in the mood to listen. Picking up the paper in front of him, he proceeded to read it over while trying to mentally block the annoying ringing sound.

"Sir," said Riza, not looking up from her own work. "Just answer the phone. He'll just keep calling till you answer it." The rest of his staff nodded in agreement.

"Fine," he grumbled. Dropping his pen, he reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Roy!" exclaimed a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"Hughes, don't you have work to do?"

"Sure I do. We're up to our ears with this Scar case right now."

"Then shouldn't you be working on it instead of calling me?"

"Nag, nag. Anyway, I called because I sent a package to you yesterday via overnight mail and I wanted to make sure you got it."

Roy looked over at his inbox where an envelope with his best friend's familiar scrawl was sitting at the top of the pile. "A giant manila envelope? Sure, I got it."

"Good. Have you opened it?"

"No."

"Why not?" whined Hughes.

Roy sighed and shook his head. "Hughes, I really don't have time to look at photos of your daughter right now."

"Come on Roy. Just take a peek. I guarantee you'll love at least one of the pictures." Roy could hear Hughes chuckling slightly at the last comment.

"Fine," he groaned. "But if I get in trouble with Hawkeye for not finishing my paperwork on time I'm blaming it on you," he added, noticing his First Lieutenant looking at him disapprovingly.

"Fine by me. I assure you, you won't regret it."

Roy slowly reached for the manila envelope, broke the seal on the back, and pulled out about half a dozen photos. "Alright Hughes, I'm looking at them," he told his friend as he slowly flipped through photo after photo of a smiling Elysia Hughes posing for the camera.

"Doesn't she look beautiful?" gushed Hughes.

"Yes, Elysia looks more and more like her mother every day," answered Roy, bored.

"I didn't mean Elysia."

"What? Who else in the-" began Roy. He stopped in mid-sentence when he reached the last picture. A grin slowly formed on his face as he admired the blonde in the photo. "Yes, she looks stunning. I'm surprised you were able to get this shot." He noticed Riza looking suspiciously up at him after his comment.

"You better appreciate it." Hughes told him. "I risked my life for that shot. She literally chased me down and made me swear I'd give her the photo and the negatives when I got them developed. Of course, she never knew I made a duplicate first."

Roy laughed at Hughes's anecdote as he admired the picture. It was a photo from a trip he and his men (and woman) took a few months ago. The group had gone to the beach one long weekend to celebrate a mission they had successfully completed and Hughes and his family, who were visiting East City at the time, had joined them in the festivities. At the time, Roy remembered being somewhat annoyed at his friend for constantly shoving his camera in front of everyone and snapping photos practically every minute but now he couldn't help but think just how lucky he was that Hughes had actually joined them. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be sitting here right now holding a photograph of his First Lieutenant wearing a dark blue two-piece swimsuit. Riza was lying on her side on a towel in the photo, one arm supporting her head while the other was keeping a book she was reading open. Her long blond hair flowed loose down her back, framing her serene face while the white unbuttoned shirt she wore over her swimsuit to hide her tattoo had slipped down her shoulders, revealing more of her creamy white skin. Roy didn't think he had ever seen Riza look this sexy before. He chuckled silently as he thought how Riza once off-handedly mentioned she didn't think she was at all that attractive. He turned over the photo and saw a note written in Hughes's messy handwriting.

_If this won't encourage you to make a move then I don't know what will._

"By the way, I also have one of her building a sandcastle with Elysia but I thought you'll appreciate this one far more." Hughes finally said, breaking the silence.

Roy smiked. "Yeah, Hughes. I do. Thanks."

"Anyway, I better back to work. I just called to make sure the package arrived safely."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later then."

" 'K. Oh, and Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."

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**A/N: **Next drabble should be up in a few days.


	2. The Gift

**A/N:** So I said at the author's notes in the last story that I would have another drabble posted in a few days. Unfortunately, the story inadvertently became an M rated drabble so I couldn't post it here and two other stories I finished turned out pretty bad. I'm pretty happy with this one though.

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**The Gift:**

Riza smiled as she watched the snow gracefully fall outside the Hughes' residence. The scenery outside looked so quiet and peaceful; a direct contrast to the bustling noise coming from downstairs where the Christmas party was going on. Riza frowned when she heard the sound of breaking glass followed by loud laughter. No doubt the effects of the wine were starting to kick in.

Shaking her head, she turned away from the window and walked back to the center of the guest bedroom. The room was doubling for a coat check that evening, so a pile of coats were currently lying all over the bed.

As she sifted through the seemingly endless pile looking for her coat so she could place a fountain pen set, her Secret Santa gift from Fuery, with the rest of her belongings, she felt a small tug on her skirt. Turning around, she found Elysia looking up at her, smiling.

"This is for you," she said shyly, holding up a small box wrapped in silver and gold. Riza smiled and kneeled down in front of the little girl.

"Thank you, Elysia," she said as she gave the child a hug. "But you didn't have to get me anything." Elysia simply giggled.

"It's not from me," she replied. "Uncle Roy found it under the Christmas tree while he and Mommy were picking up all the wrapping paper on the floor. He asked me to bring it to you."

"I see." Riza looked down at the tag attached to the present. As she suspected, her name was written in the Colonel's familiar handwriting.

"So are you going to open it?" Elysia asked, fidgeting excitedly.

Riza smiled and held out the gift to the little girl. "Why don't you help me?"

"Ok!" Elysia took the present and ripped the wrapping off. "Oh wow…" she breathed, holding up the gift for Riza to see. "What a pretty jewelry box!"

Riza couldn't help but smile at the gift. The silver case was decorated with an intricate floral design carved around the sides with her initials, R.H., engraved at the center of the lid. Gently taking the jewelry box from Elysia, she opened it and felt the rich velvet lining inside. It really was beautiful. While she was busy admiring the gift she almost didn't notice a third person enter the room.

"Hey kiddo. Your mommy's looking for you to sing Christmas carols," said a male voice. Riza looked up and saw Roy standing over them, grinning.

"Uncle Roy! Look at what Auntie Riza got!" Elysia exclaimed.

Roy glanced at the jewelry box in Riza's hands. "Wow. Auntie Riza must've been a really good girl this year to get such a nice present," he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. Riza could feel herself blushing.

"Come on, Elysia," she said turning back to the little girl. "We better go back downstairs."

Elysia nodded. "OK." She started skipping towards the door. Riza began to follow her but Roy held her back.

"You go on ahead, Elysia. We'll be there in a minute. I want to have a word with Auntie Riza first."

The little girl nodded in understanding and disappeared out the door. As soon as she left Riza felt a pair of arms slip around her waist and a pair of lips met hers. When they finally parted, she noticed that Roy was grinning.

"I've been waiting all night to do that."

"I'm surprised you didn't try earlier under the mistletoe."

"I didn't think the men would appreciate seeing us making out in a corner since none of them came with dates. Havoc probably would have cried about it ruining his Christmas or something."

"You're _such_ a considerate superior officer," she joked while turning her attention back to the gift she still had in her hand. Roy watched as she ran her hand over the floral design.

"So….do you like your gift?"

Riza looked up at him and smiled. "Yes, it's lovely. Thank you. It's just that I don't really have any jewelry to put in it except perhaps a few earrings."

Roy simply smirked. "Well I guess we'll have to rectify that problem won't we?"

Riza watched in surprise as he slowly got down on one knee and pulled out a small black velvet box. Her hand instinctively went to her mouth as he opened it to reveal a solitary diamond ring sparkling in the moonlight.

"Riza," he said softly, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "We've been through a lot together and no matter what, you've always been by my side. I can't even begin to imagine how different my life would be without you…actually I probably wouldn't still be here if it weren't for you. You mean the world to me and I-I know I don't deserve you but I love you a-and I want you with me forever." He paused and gazed into Riza's eyes. "Will you marry me?"

For the first time in her life, Riza was speechless. She could only nod her head and watch as he placed the ring upon her finger. Then Roy stood up and brought her close to him. She could smell the scent of his aftershave as her lips met his in a passionate kiss. It seemed like an eternity before a childish voice rang out from the bottom of the stairs.

"Uncle Roy? Auntie Riza? What's taking so long? Everybody's waiting."

Roy and Riza slowly parted and chuckled. "I guess that's our cue," Roy whispered into her ear. Riza nodded even though deep down she didn't want the moment to end. Without another word, they slowly walked, hand-in-hand, back downstairs to join the party.

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**A/N: **Cliché proposal, I know. I just couldn't resist writing it. 

Thank you to everybody who reviewed.


	3. Why Won't You Get Married?

**A/N:** This story is a smidge over 1,000 words but it's close enough so I'm putting it in here.

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**Why Won't You Get Married?**

" Honestly Roy. I don't see why you don't want to get married," commented Maes one hot afternoon. "It's the best thing I ever did."

"I should've known you had an ulterior motive when you begged me to help you build a deck in your backyard." Roy grumbled as he drove the shovel into the hard soil. A drop of sweat trickled down his face and dripped down onto the back of his hand. "And I still don't see why I can't just use alchemy to build the whole thing. We would've been done ages ago."

"Simple. Elysia's going to start walking soon so I need to make sure this deck is child-proof," answered Maes as he inspected the floor to make sure it was even. "I can't have my little princess getting a splinter or bumping her head on something sharp. Everything needs to be perfect."

"Whatever." Roy wiped the sweat off his brow. "Let's just finish as soon as possible ok? I can't wait to hit the shower." Maes grinned at his friend.

"So…you never answered my question earlier."

"What question?"

"Why don't you want to get married? And don't give me that it's because you want to focus on becoming Fuhrer junk. I'm not buying that crap for a second."

"Fine. How about I enjoy being a bachelor then? I get to flirt with as many beautiful ladies as I want and I can stay out all night without a wife demanding to know where I was."

"Hmm…you do have a good point. Pass me the hammer will you?"

Roy looked at his friend suspiciously before handing him the tool. That was too easy. He had expected a much longer debate on his marital status than that. However, Maes was busy making sure that the wooden post he had driven into the soil earlier was straight. Roy sighed and picked up another hammer. Perhaps he finally did convince Maes that he wasn't ready to settle down.

"You know, there's lots of perks of being married."

Roy groaned. So much for that thought. "Amuse me then," he mumbled as he positioned a nail between two boards.

"Well you pay less taxes for starters…and you'll never have to sleep alone." Roy smirked at the last comment. "Ok. Forget the last point. Knowing you, you could sleep with a different woman every night if you wanted.

"Which is why being a bachelor is great."

"Fine. How about this? You get a great home cooked meal every day."

"I can cook," Roy grunted.

"Barely. I feel sorry for any girl who's had to try one of your home cooked meals."

"Hey! I've improved a lot since Ishbal. You can ask Riza."

Roy mentally cursed himself. He was going to get it now. He glanced over at his friend and saw that Maes had a huge grin plastered on his face.

"So you've had Riza over for dinner eh? I always knew there was something going on between you two."

"There's nothing between us that you don't already know."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm hot."

"I bet that's what she says about you in bed."

"Hughes. You should know better than to annoy someone holding a weapon." He held up the hammer for emphasis.

"So what? I've got one too." He held up the other hammer.

"I give up," Roy mumbled under his breath. He turned his attention back to work in front of him. Maes grinned even more.

"You know, Roy," he said, leaning closer to his best friend. "If you're half as smart as you claim to be you would marry her before some other guy comes along and steals her from you."

Roy chuckled. "That will never happen."

"Don't be too sure. I know several young officers that have much more than just a passing interest in your Lieutenant."

"Oh?" Roy commented, pounding on the nail a little harder than necessary. "What are their names and ranks?"

"Ha. I knew it! You're jealous."

"Not at all. I was thinking of passing on their names to Riza."

"Liar. Why won't you admit it?" Roy simply smirked.

"A good soldier never reveals his weakness or lets his guard down. Now, if you're finally done interrogating me about my love life let's hurry up and finish this. "

"You're no fun," whined Maes as they went back to work.

_Several hours later…_

Roy closed his eyes and sighed in relief as hot water cascaded over him, relaxing his aching muscles. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he was this sore.

_Stupid Hughes. I'm never falling for that trick again, _he thought to himself as he grabbed a bar of soap and lathered himself. _The man never gives up. _He placed the soap back on the tray and quickly rinsed off. Grabbing a towel, he dried himself and slipped into a pair of boxers before entering his bedroom. Riza was reading in his bed wearing a silk nightgown.

"Did you two finish building the deck?" she asked, putting down her book.

"Almost," Roy groaned before flopping onto the bed. "There's still some sanding and other minor stuff but the bastard can do that himself," he murmured into the pillow. He heard Riza shift beside him and felt her hands on his back.

"Mmm…that feels good."

"You're really stiff," she commented as she worked on the knots in his shoulders. Roy grinned at the comment.

"That's not the only part of me that's stiff." Riza laughed quietly at his remark and continued with the massage. Roy groaned as felt his muscles starting to relax.

"By the way, Maes was bugging me to go find a wife again."

"Oh?" Riza raised a brow. "Did you tell him?"

"Nah. He wouldn't understand," he replied before turning over. Maes could never understand that the only reason he wasn't married was because he didn't want to put Riza in any unnecessary danger. She was his weak point and if his enemies knew that they would certainly use that to their advantage. Staring up at her, he wondered how different his life would be without her.

"You ok?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Just thinking how life isn't fair." Riza smiled.

"I'd say you have it better than most people."

"True. I have you." Then, gently grasping her arm, he slowly pulled her down and kissed her passionately.

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**A/N:** Heh. This story managed to evolve quite a bit from my initial idea involving a scheming Maes, a sweaty and topless Roy, Riza, and lemonade. :P


	4. Perfect Match

**A/N: ** This story assumes Roy doesn't know about the relation between Riza and General Grumman yet.

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**Perfect Match:**

"Seems like you're building quite a reputation here in the East among the ladies," said Lieutenant General Grumman one afternoon to the young man sitting across from him. Roy laughed.

"Well, I have to thank you for that, sir" he answered, moving his knight in front of the General's bishop. "After all, you are the one who introduced most of them to me."

Grumman laughed as he pondered his next move. The young Lieutenant Colonel was proving to be quite an interesting character. He knew there was something special about the boy the day he stepped into his office and immediately took him under his wing. "So take a special interest in any of them?" he asked as he moved his rook.

"There's one but she's not in that group."

"Meaning she hasn't fallen under your charms yet."

"You could say that."

Grumman chuckled as Roy made his next move. "Just remember that if you need any advice don't hesitate to ask. I was quite the ladies' man back in my day."

"Actually…" Roy scratched his chin as he watched the General capture his pawn. "Your advice would be appreciated. My new reputation as a playboy isn't exactly making it any easier to charm her."

"Interesting. So what have you done to attract her attention?"

"Umm…what I've done with every other girl?"

Grumman smiled. "Hmm…It seems you've had it easy picking up in the past with women immediately falling for you simply due to your good looks and fame. Unfortunately it sounds like this girl will need a little more work to attract. But don't worry," he added as he moved his bishop. "I have a few tips. Check."

"You have my full attention," replied Roy as he moved his queen and captured the bishop.

"First, give her flowers when you see her. No girl can resist getting a fresh bouquet. Check."

"Flowers. Got it."

"And give plenty of compliments. Jokes also work as long as you time it right. Also be a gentleman by doing things like holding the door for her. Basically treat her like a lady and she'll fall for you. Checkmate." He dropped his queen in front of Roy's king.

"You win again, sir," Roy said.

Grumman laughed. "Better luck next time, Mustang," he said as he placed a mark in his notebook.

"Indeed," Roy answered as he put away the chess set. "Anyway, any more advice?"

"Hmm…" Grumman tapped his chin with his pencil. "There's this trick where you pretend to yawn and wrap your arm around her shoulder. If she doesn't brush you off then you know you're on her good side and can go for the kill."

Roy smirked as he stood up. "I better get back to work before Hawkeye hunts me down. Thank you for the advice."

"It was my pleasure." Grumman watched the young man head toward the door. "But you know…" Roy turned around. "If things don't work out between you and this girl there's always my granddaughter. I think you two would be perfect for each other."

Roy grinned. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, General," he replied over his shoulder while exiting the office. The door quietly shut behind him. Grumman leaned back in his chair and grinned.

The Lieutenant Colonel was definitely an entertaining character.

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_A few days later,_

Grumman sighed as he sat down on a bench in the park and pulled out his newspaper. He had just met with one of his contacts earlier and had decided to relax a little before heading home.

While he opened his paper, he heard a pair of voices behind him. Turning around he saw his granddaughter sitting on another park bench nearby talking to a familiar raven-haired man. Lying next to her was a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

_Well I'll be damned._

He couldn't help but grin. So she was the one he was after. Hiding his face behind his paper, he positioned himself so he could eavesdrop on their conversation without being seen. The two seemed to be enjoying themselves. After a while, he saw Roy yawn and place his arm behind her. Riza looked at him suspiciously but didn't move. They talked a few minutes longer before her leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Riza's eyes widen in surprise and Grumman saw her cheeks flush red with embarrassment.

_This doesn't look good._

He cringed as he watched Riza quickly get up from the bench and slap Roy across the face. He could've sworn he heard her say something about "not being as easy as his other conquests," before watching her storm off leaving a very confused Roy in her wake.

_Well that certainly wasn't unexpected._

Carefully folding his newspaper, he got up from the bench and made his way towards his naïve pupil. The young man was still looking in the direction Riza left.

"Turned you down eh, my boy?"

Roy turned around. "General Grumman!" he exclaimed, still rubbing his red cheek. "I'm afraid your techniques didn't quite work." Grumman chuckled.

"Well my advice was for seducing an ordinary woman. I'm afraid women like her require even more finesse."

Roy frowned at his remark. "Sir, excuse me for asking but how would you know that she isn't any ordinary woman?"

Grumman chuckled louder. "She reminds me of a woman I once dated in my younger days. She was a real beauty but impossible to seduce. Gave me the cold shoulder every time I tried to flirt with her. I had almost given up after trying for months before she finally succumb to my charms."

Roy smirked. "And how did you manage that?"

Grumman smiled at the younger man and laid a hand on the Lieutenant Colonel's shoulder. "Be honest with her. No games. Treat her with utmost respect, and most of all, love her unconditionally. Trust me, Mustang. Women like her are rare and definitely worth the extra effort." Patting Roy on the shoulder once more, he turned to leave.

"Oh, and by the way," he added, turning back at Roy. "If you even think of fooling around behind my granddaughter's back I will personally see to it that you're demoted down to Private. Otherwise, welcome to the family." He smirked when he saw Roy's jaw drop.

"Riza's your granddaughter???"

"I always said you two would make a perfect match," he replied while tuning around and walking away. "Looks like you finally took my suggestion."


	5. Habit

**A/N:** Felt like writing something a little more sentimental and this piece came up. Anyway this drabble takes place during the Ishbal war.

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**Habit:**

She quietly made her way through the camp, weaving through the mess of tents randomly pitched around the desert while trying to avoid the attention of any soldiers still awake. Despite the late hour a few soldiers were still huddled by the campfires, exchanging stories while they tried to stay warm against the chilly desert wind. She quickly ducked behind some supply crates when she saw two men heading towards her and waited till they passed before coming out of her hiding place. The last thing she wanted was for someone to know where she was going this late at night. Pulling her hood over her face even more, she darted past a few more tents before she found herself at her destination.

She could feel her heart pounding slightly as she approached the tent. What would she do if he was already asleep? Would he be upset if she came in while he was sleeping?

"Major?" she whispered into the flap opening. She heard a slight shuffle inside followed by a slight cough before he replied. "Come in." Smiling slightly, she quickly looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched before she lifted the flap and went inside.

He was sitting in his cot, writing into his journal, something he did almost every night. He looked up at her, apparently unsurprised to see her in his tent so late at night.

"Another nightmare?" he asked, his dark eyes studying her.

"Sort of," she answered hesitantly, looking at the top of her boots. "I was just having trouble falling asleep. I keep seeing things from the battlefield every time I close my eyes."

He sighed and placed his journal and pen on the crate next to his bed and lifted the covers. "Alright. Come in."

Smiling, she removed her coat and kicked off her boots before crawling in beside him. He grinned slightly as he watched her get comfortable.

"You know, I never understood why you always came to me whenever you had a nightmare."

"To be fair the first time was because there was thunderstorms and Father was out of town that weekend. And besides, I was seven. I was scared and I didn't know better."

"And now?"

"Old habits die hard I guess," she mumbled as she pulled the itchy military-issued blanket over her shoulders. She watched as he leaned over her to blow out the candle, plunging them in darkness but she didn't care. For some reason, she felt safe when she was with him.

She was just starting to drift off when he spoke again. "Ever thought of trying to break this habit of yours?"

Confused, she turned over to face him. "Why? You're tired of my company already?"

"I never said that. It's just that it's only a matter of time before someone catches us like this. Are you prepared for the repercussions?"

She snuggled a little closer to him before answering. "If I wasn't I wouldn't be sneaking in here so often would I? Some things are just too good to give up." She heard him laugh quietly. "What about you?" she asked. "If you're so worried about us getting caught shouldn't you have sent me back to my own tent instead of letting me stay?"

"Hmm…You do have a point. Then again, I did promise Sensei that I would look after you which is what I'm doing right now isn't it?"

"I guess." They were silent for a moment before she finally spoke again.

"How do you avoid getting nightmares, Mr. Mustang?"

There was a pause before he answered. "I don't. I still get them almost every night."

She stared at him though the darkness. "Then why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What's there to tell?" he replied while staring up at the tent canvas above them. "I see the faces of those I've killed every night in my dreams. I still hear their screams as their life drained from them."

He was silent for a minute. "Sometimes they're so bad I just wish I could end it, to pull the trigger and end these nightmares once and for all but then I remind myself that that's the coward's way out.

She looked down, lost in thought. She had no idea he had those nightmares too and she felt a little guilty for never bothering to ask before.

"You know, you could always ask me to leave if you need to be alone. I don't want to burden you with my problems when you already have your own to deal with."

He turned his head to look at her. "Don't be ridiculous," he replied. "Just having you here helps a lot. Don't ever think of yourself as a burden."

She smiled at the comment. Content, she snuggled even closer to him. "I'm glad. Now let's get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."

"Don't I get a good night kiss first?"

Riza couldn't help but grin as she placed a light kiss on his lips. "Good night, Mr. Mustang," she said before settling her head on his shoulder. She felt him wrap an arm around her waist.

"Good night Riza."


	6. Follow Me

**A/N: **Happy Royai Day! I hope everyone enjoys this. Inspiration for this story actually came from a discussion I had with someone over something that happened in Chapter 94 and a few childhood memories of my little cousin following me around and copying everything I did.

The latter part of the one-shot takes place right after Chapter 89 so there are some spoilers.

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Follow Me:**

Nine-year old Roy Mustang frowned as he stomped along the dirt path towards town carrying a huge list of things his teacher had ordered him to get. He grumbled as he looked at the list.

_Carbon…hydrochloric acid…sodium nitrate…milk…apples….eggs…red thread? Dammit. How the hell am I supposed to carry all this stuff back? There's_ _got to be at least fifty things on this stupid list! _

Gripping his hair in frustration, Roy wondered why his teacher always made him run errands for him while he remained comfortable in the study. The last time Roy went to town he had to carry back three huge alchemy books by Paracelsus that Sensei had ordered and before that he had to lug back firewood. Surely his teacher was violating some kind of child labor law somewhere. A boy his age shouldn't have to do that much manual labor.

The sound of footsteps behind him quickly snapped him from his thoughts. Roy scowled. He knew exactly whom they belonged to and he most definitely was not in the mood for babysitting.

"Stop following me!" he shouted at the little blonde girl behind him. Riza stopped in her tracks.

"But you're going somewhere and I want to go too!"

"I'm not going off to play," he huffed while he turned around to face her. "I have to go to town and carry back a bunch of junk for your father."

"I can help," she protested, clutching the stuffed dog she always carried with her.

"No you can't. All this stuff is too heavy for you to carry.

"Please?"

"No! Go home! I don't have time to babysit you. I still have a lot of stuff to do when I get back and you'll only slow me down!"

Riza stared at him, dumbfounded. Then Roy noticed her lip quivering and tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You're mean," she cried just as two large tears rolled down her cheeks.

_Crap, _Roy cursed under his breath. If Sensei found out he made Riza cry he was so going to get it later.

"Look, Riza," he said, patting the little girl on the shoulder. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. Please stop crying and I'll let you come with me." She looked up at him.

"You mean it?" she sniffed. "You're not just saying that are you?"

"You can follow me all you want. Just promise you'll stay close to me."

"OK," Riza said as she wiped away her tears and smiled. Roy sighed in relief. He wasn't going to get in trouble after all.

"Come on. Let's go," he said as he began walking again. Riza nodded and happily followed after him towards town.

_21 Years later…_

Roy sat on the grass staring up at the stars, lost in thought. This was it. Tomorrow they would finally discover the mastermind behind the conspiracy in the military and overthrow it. He still couldn't believe it. Despite the fact that they had been planning for this day for months, it still seemed a little surreal. It still hadn't sunk in to him that he was now a traitor to his country and about to lead an attack on an organization that he once thought he would die for.

"You ok?" asked Riza as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah," he answered. "Just going over in my mind what we have to do tomorrow."

"Oh,"

They were silent for a while as they both stared up at the stars above them.

"So how are the preparations?"

"Almost done. Breda and Charlie are making some last minute adjustments to our plans for tomorrow and Rebecca and Lt. Ross are passing out the remaining ammunition. After that all that's left is for you to change the logo on the ice cream truck."

Roy smirked. "I'll do that tomorrow. Too lazy now," he replied as he stretched out on the grass.

Riza grinned. "You're always lazy."

They were silent again before he eventually turned his head towards her. "Lieutenant?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you still have regrets following me?"

She looked over at him. "No. Why?"

"No reason. I just remembered you once saying you might have made a mistake following me."

"When did I say that?"

"Right before you started working under the Fuhrer."

"Oh right," she said as she laid down next to him. "Well, if I still had regrets I wouldn't be here would I? And don't forget, I've been following you since I was little."

Roy smirked. "Why did you do that anyway? It got really annoying at times."

Riza smiled and closed her eyes. "I don't really know why. I suppose I looked up to you because you were older and therefore you were probably also smarter. Fortunately I knew better when I got older."

"Hey!"

He sat up and pouted. She simply smiled at his reaction. "If you knew better then why are you still following me?" he asked before lying back down.

Riza turned over onto her side. "Well somebody has to keep you in line and make sure you don't run off and do something crazy."

He smirked. "You think I'll go crazy someday?"

"You never know," she replied as she picked some stray grass off his uniform. "Some would say you're already crazy for going against the military." Roy chuckled.

"Then I'm fortunate to have a subordinate who's also crazy enough to follow me," he said as he turned over onto his side. He gently brushed her cheek with his hand. "Very fortunate," he added softly. Riza smiled.

"We should go join the rest of the group before they start looking for us," she said. Roy nodded in agreement. Getting up, they brushed off any stray grass from their clothes and made their way back to the camp.


	7. Hidden Message

**A/N:** Wow...over a year since my last update. I feel terrible.

I will admit that this fic has little if any Royai in it. I got the idea for this one day while reading about Caesar ciphers and I couldn't figure out a way to add in any romance without it sounding forced so I eventually gave up and wrote the story as is. I apologize to anyone who was expecting a cute fluffy story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters.

* * *

**Hidden Message**:

Isabelle Hawkeye couldn't believe her eyes.

Her workaholic husband was sitting on the couch with a large book in his hands. Sitting on his lap with the biggest smile on her little face was their six-year-old daughter.

_Miracles do happen_, she thought to herself. She was about to walk up to them when Berthold suddenly spoke up.

"Now Riza, if you use this cipher key to replace these three letters what word do you get?"

The little girl studied the book for a minute before finally proudly shouting "Dog!"

"That's right! Now what about this one?"

"Ummm….Ball!"

"Very good!"

Isabelle frowned. That was not what she was expecting. She walked into the room, her footsteps echoing loudly in the sparsely decorated room. Both Berthold and Riza looked up to see who had disturbed their bonding time.

"Riza darling… It's time for bed," Isabelle told her daughter.

"But Mommy…" the little girl protested.

"No buts," she said firmly. "You know the rules. Your two can continue the lesson tomorrow."

Pouting, Riza slid off her father's lap and ran up to her. Isabelle bent down and brushed a few stray strands of hair from her daughter's eyes.

"You go on ahead ok? I'll be right with you shortly. I just want to have a little chat with your father first."

The little girl nodded. "Goodnight, Daddy," she said before running out of the room. Isabelle couldn't help but smile as she watched her scamper up the stairs to her bedroom.

_She seems so happy to be spending time with her father._

A shuffling sound interrupted her thoughts. Turning around, she saw Berthold placing the book on the desk in a corner. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"What?" he asked gruffly. "You asked me to spend more time with her so I am."

"I was expecting you to play with her or read stories to her. Not teach her to decipher codes!

He waved her off. "If I'm going to spend time with her I might as well make it productive. It's pointless filling her head with stories of princesses and castles and happily ever after's. You know as well as anyone that dreaming about those foolish fantasies are a waste of time and precious brain cells."

"It's not foolish. It's called a healthy childhood!" retorted Isabelle.

Berthold laughed. "What's so healthy about waiting for some prince to rescue her? Or do you actually expect some Xingese prince to show up one day and carry Riza off into the sunset on his white stallion?"

Isabelle huffed and stormed out of the room. It was pointless arguing with her husband. A man like him would never understand the importance of having hopes and dreams to strive for. As she climbed up the stairs to tuck Riza into bed she hoped her daughter wouldn't grow up to be as jaded as her husband.

_11 years later…_

Riza stared at the clock on her wall, trying in vain to ignore Roy's gentle touch on her back. He'd been studying her tattoo for days now and she sincerely hoped he would be finished soon. It was really awkward lying on her bed, half-dressed while he hovered over her trying to decipher her father's research. Sighing a little, she closed her eyes and wondered why her father had to choose this method to hide his research. Surely there had to be plenty of other methods that didn't require tattooing his own daughter. What really frustrated her was that he never told her in advance what he was going to do. He had simply asked her if she could help him with his work and she blindly said, "Yes," before she realized that this was what he meant by help. And now, because of his own selfishness, she carried the burden of protecting his secret. As a result, she could never let anyone get close to her for fear of the research falling into the wrong hands.

While she was imagining how different her life might have been if her mother was still alive to keep her father in check, Roy leaned over her to get a closer look at an inscription written on her back. She felt a shiver go down her back as she felt his breath on her skin.

"Hmmm…this is weird."

"What?" she asked, opening her eyes.

"This portion here," he gently touched her lower back where she knew was the bottom of the tattoo. "I've deciphered the code but it's still a bunch of nonsense."

"Maybe Father used a different encryption key to make sure it wasn't easily solvable."

Roy shook his head. "The rest of the tattoo uses the same style of encryption. It doesn't make sense for him to completely switch all of a sudden for this small part only. If anything, this part here…" he gently tapped her left shoulder blade, "…would be a more likely place for him to switch since it has the most critical information."

Riza thought for a moment. Memories of her father's lessons in cryptanalysis all those years ago suddenly came flooding back.

"Can I see it? Maybe I can help."

Roy looked somewhat confused by her request but he wrote down the code on a slip of paper and handed it to her. She looked at it and immediately recognized the pattern.

"Could I borrow a pencil, Mr. Mustang?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh sure," he said, handing her his pencil. She quickly went to work decoding the message.

"Do you know how to decipher it?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Yes. I don't know why but it's written in a code that Father and I created together while he was teaching me how to decipher codes. He used to write encrypted notes to me and I would have to try to solve them. Even Mother didn't know the key so it was sort of our secret way of communication. Unfortunately, after Mother died the lessons stopped abruptly and Father became even more obsessed with his research." She placed the pencil down and read the finished message in its entirety. As she did, tears began welling up in her eyes.

_Riza, I'm sorry for not being there for you all these years and for placing this terrible burden on you. Please forgive me for all the suffering I may have caused. I just wanted to give you a better life. I'm sorry._

"I forgive you, Father," she whispered while the tears ran down her face. Roy quickly pulled her towards him and she quietly sobbed in his arms.

* * *

**A/N: **I promise the next fic will have more Royai.


	8. Caught in the Act

**A/N:** As promised, this one has more Royai in it. Enjoy! :)

* * *

**Caught in the Act:**

There had to be something going on between Mustang and Hawkeye.

Havoc absentmindedly tapped his pen on his paperwork while he thought it over. The evidence was too obvious not to ignore. He'd seen how the Colonel would steal glances at her instead of doing his paperwork and how the Lieutenant's hand would linger on his when she passed him a form to sign. Not to mention the late nights they would spend together at the office was highly suspicious. Looking over to his co-workers, he wondered if they had noticed the same thing.

"Psst… Breda," he whispered. "Why do you think Mustang and Hawkeye are always together?"

Breda looked up from his work. "Isn't it obvious? She's his bodyguard. Even someone as stupid as you should know that."

"That's not what I meant!" Havoc hissed. "I'm asking if you think they're a couple!"

Breda stared at him for a moment before chuckling, "You're crazy, Havoc. There's no way the Colonel and Lieutenant are dating."

"What makes you so sure?"

A loud bang echoed in the room. Havoc looked up and saw that Riza had just dropped a huge stack of paper on the Roy's desk, waking him up from his nap.

"You're not supposed to sleep in the office!"

"I wasn't sleeping! I was just resting my eyes!"

"That trail of drool on the side of your face says otherwise!"

"That's why," whispered Breda while discreetly pointing at the two bickering officers. "They fight too much."

"They fight like a married couple," Havoc corrected him.

"I think you're looking way too deeply into this. Hawkeye is Mustang's babysitter. Everyone knows that."

"Fine. Let's make a bet. If I can find concrete evidence that proves those two are together then I win."

Breda chuckled as he went back to his work. "You're on."

_

* * *

Hours later…_

Havoc silently cursed at himself.

The Colonel and Lieutenant had gone out for an inspection earlier so he had gone and searched Mustang's desk after everybody else had left for the day. Unfortunately, the only proof he could find was Hawkeye's phone number in Mustang's little black book, which meant absolutely nothing since there were about fifty other women's phone numbers written in it.

_Pencils…staples….breath mints….Come on! There's got to be something incriminating here!_

He was about to give up when he spied a crumpled ball of paper in the wastebasket next to the desk. Curious, he retrieved the paper from the wastebasket and unfolded it. He grinned when he recognized the handwritings of both his commanding officers.

_Dinner on Saturday?_

_Get back to work._

_Paperwork isn't due till Friday. I've got time._

_The work is only going to pile up if you continue to procrastinate._

_I could finish my work faster provided I get the proper "motivation"._

_Not in the office._

_Never said it had to be in the office. Your place works fine too._

_How's this for motivation? If you don't finish your paperwork you don't get any for a week._

_That's mean. :(_

_But works every time. :)_

Havoc couldn't stop smirking. This was perfect. Not only were the two passing notes during work but the note proved they were seeing each other. He was just about to leave and call Breda when he heard somebody turn the door handle.

_Crap._

Instinctively, he ducked behind the desk, still clutching the note. The door opened a second later and both Mustang and Hawkeye walked in.

"Hmm? It seems everybody left already," he heard Mustang say.

"Not surprising. It _is_ half past six," replied Riza.

Havoc heard the door shut with a click followed by the sound of footsteps.

"Well Lieutenant," he heard Mustang's voice again. "Looks like it's just you and me. Now how about that reward?"

Riza didn't answer. Instead, Havoc heard some shuffling and a chair being moved. He carefully peered around the corner of the desk. Riza was sitting on her desk, her arms wrapped around the Colonel's neck while they shared a passionate kiss. He grinned.

_Damn. I should've borrowed a camera. This is gold._

Suddenly, he felt something nudge him. He turned around and came face to face with Black Hayate.

_Go away_, he motioned to the dog. Hayate tilted his head in curiosity.

"Arf!"

_Dammit!_ he cursed.

"What is it Hayate?" he heard Riza ask. Havoc quickly dove back under the desk and curled up into a ball. If he was lucky, maybe she wouldn't see him. Unfortunately, lady luck was not on his side and he soon found himself face to face with a very angry Lieutenant.

"Uhhh…hi!"

"What are you doing down there, Havoc?" asked Riza, her eyes narrowing.

"Down here? Oh. I was looking for something I dropped. I found it though so I'll be leaving now. I'll see you tomorrow." He quickly got up and tried to dart to the door but Roy stopped him.

"Havoc," he called, "What's in your hand?"

"This? It's nothing special."

"Let me see." He held out his hand. Havoc gulped.

"I don't think you'll find it interesting, sir."

"We'll see when I look at it. Now hand it over."

Havoc reluctantly handed him the crumpled paper. Roy smoothed it out and read the contents; any angry look crossing his face when he realized what was inside. He looked up at him.

"I can explain…" began Havoc but Roy stopped him.

"Havoc. I will give you five seconds to start running. You better take full advantage of it."

Havoc gulped and made a mad dash out the door. He was halfway down the hall when he heard the familiar snap followed by the smell of burnt hair.

* * *

"Man. What happened to you last night? You look like crap," commented Breda as Havoc walked in the next morning.

"Long story," he muttered. He had barely sat down when Riza walked up to him and dropped a gigantic stack on his desk.

"The Colonel will be in late this morning so I expect you to fill out these forms on his behalf."

"B-but…" gawked Havoc but she had already walked away. "Dammit!" he cursed before grabbing the form on the top of the pile. He had just started reading the first paragraph when he felt a nudge.

"Here," Breda whispered. He stuffed something in Havoc's hand. He looked down and saw it was a bunch of bills.

"What's this?"

"Our bet. Whatever you found yesterday must have been pretty good if you're getting punished like this."

"It was," remarked Havoc as he pocketed the cash. "Unfortunately, I got caught when that stupid dog blew my cover."

"Serves you right for poking your nose in other people's personal affairs. Especially the Colonel's."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one looking."

"Why do it myself when I can find someone stupid enough to do it for me?"

Havoc stared at Breda before finally smacking himself on the forehead. He couldn't believe he fell for that trick.

"DAMMIT!"


	9. Similarities

**A/N: ** Greetings! I come bearing another fic. I actually wrote most of this a while back before I got stuck, left it, then forgot about it. Found it just a few days ago on my computer and decided to finally finish it.

* * *

**Similarities:**

It was another typical day in the Colonel Mustang's office. The office was bustling with activity with deadlines fast approaching. The group was scrambling to finish some paperwork needed for the monthly Eastern HQ meeting in the afternoon when a noise interrupted them.

"I said drop it, Al!" shouted a voice just outside the door.

"But brother…" protested another voice.

Everybody looked up and watched as Edward Elric marched in through the door followed by his brother Al. Ed quickly marched up to the Colonel's desk and tossed a binder onto it, scattering the other loose papers that had piled up on his desk. "Here's your damn report, Colonel."

Roy looked up and frowned. "Oh it's you, Fullmetal. I must say it never ceases to amaze me how someone so small can make such a loud entrance."

"Who are you calling so small that they can be stuffed in a bottle and thrown into the sea!"

Riza shook her head and continued her work, mentally trying to block the sound of the two bickering. Sometimes she wondered why the Colonel enjoyed teasing Ed so much. It wasn't like he was that much taller when he was that age.

"Umm…Lieutenant Hawkeye?" asked a voice nearby. She looked up from her paperwork. Al was standing in front of her. "I was wondering if you could help us on something?"

Riza looked at him somewhat surprised. "What is it?"

"Well…Winry's sixteenth birthday is coming up and we want to give her a gift." Riza noticed the room had suddenly gotten silent. "We've been discussing about what to get her but we're kind of stuck. Brother says to just get her a wrench so she can throw it at him but I don't think it's a very good present."

A chorus of "Oooooooh…" suddenly erupted around them. She turned around and glared at the men but their attentions were focused on the brothers.

"Can't figure out what to get your little girlfriend, Ed?" smirked Roy. Ed turned a dark shade of crimson.

"Al! That conversation was between us!

"But brother…" protested Al. "We've been thinking for days and we haven't thought of anything. I just thought Lieutenant Hawkeye might have an idea."

"You didn't have to ask so loudly that everybody else could hear!"

"Just get flowers," interrupted Roy. "Every girl I know loves receiving flowers."

Ed turned back at Roy. "They'll wilt in the Rush Valley heat in less than a day. Got any better ideas, Colonel?"

"How about jewelry?" offered Havoc. "Something like earrings."

"The last time we bought earrings she kept making new holes in her ears so we're avoiding that," answered Al.

"Chocolates?" suggested Breda.

"She'll say I'm trying to get her fat," mumbled Ed.

"A puppy?" asked Fuery.

"Already has a dog."

"How about a book?" suggested Falman. "A book on automail?" Everybody gave him an odd look and he shrugged his shoulders. "I would like a book on my birthday."

Ed sighed. "Anything else?"

"You could get lingerie," grinned Havoc. "Now that's a present you can enjoy too." There were a few snickers among the men while Ed's face turned an even darker shade of red.

"NO!" Ed slapped his forehead. "Geez…You guys are useless."

Riza smiled inwardly as she fingered one of her earrings. She could tell from their reactions that they wanted to get something special.

"I have an idea," she said. "But it's not exactly something you can buy."

"As long as it's better than anything everybody else suggested," mumbled Ed. Riza smiled.

"Go visit her. She rarely sees you two now so spending the time to celebrate her birthday with her will mean a lot more to her than any gift you can buy for her."

The room was silent while everybody comprehended her words. Then, a smile slowly formed on Ed's face. "You know what? I think she's right."

Al nodded. "It has been a while since we went to Rush Valley."

"For once I won't be greeted with a wrench in the face because I broke my automail again," laughed Ed.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," said the brothers simultaneously.

"You're welcome." Riza watched as the two quickly make their way towards the door before she remembered something. "Oh and Ed? Buy some small gift for her too. You don't want to show up empty-handed."

Ed nodded and gave her a salute before disappearing out the hallway with Al following right behind.

Riza smiled and turned her attention back to the office. Everybody was still staring at her.

"Get back to work!" she barked. Everybody quickly buried their heads in their work except Roy who looked at her curiously before finally going back to the papers in front of him. Later, after everyone else had left for lunch, he got up and walked towards her.

"You alright?" he asked, sitting down on her desk. Riza looked up at him.

"Yes. Why?"

"You were playing with your earring earlier. You only do that when something's bothering you."

"It's nothing really," she answered, dropping her pen on her desk and pointing to her earrings. "Do you remember these?"

"Of course. I bought them for your birthday years ago." She nodded.

"My sixteenth birthday to be exact. Right before you left for the academy. We used to go out for lunch on my birthday and afterwards you'd follow me around town while I window-shopped. You bought these after you saw me admiring them in the window."

"I remember," Roy said softly. "I tried to surprise you but you caught me while I was paying for them. I wanted to get you something to remember me by."

She smiled. "It was really lonely after you left. Father hated being disturbed from his research so celebrating my birthday alone was a bit depressing. Even though you sent me cards it wasn't the same as you being there with me to celebrate."

"So that's why you told the brothers to go to Rush Valley."

She nodded. "I see a lot of similarities between us and them with Winry. I don't want them to repeat the mistakes we did."

"Now what mistakes would those be?" Roy asked with a mischievous grin. She grinned back.

"You know which ones Mr. I'm-too-busy-to-write-or-call." She looked down at her watch. "Anyway, we should go get something to eat. It's already quarter past noon."

He nodded. They got up and began walking towards the door before he turned to her and asked, "Speaking of gifts, is there anything in particular you want for your birthday this year?"

Riza smiled as she gently touched the diamond ring hanging around her neck that he had given her last week. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I've already got everything I ever wanted."

**

* * *

A/N:** Hope everyone enjoyed this. I gotta say, writing funny short jokes is not easy, at least for me. Kudos to all those writers out there who can and do.

Reviews are much appreciated.


	10. Hot Coffee

**A/N: **Yeesh…it's been a while since I posted a chapter hasn't it? Unfortunately, I haven't had any ideas for oneshots lately so I've been focusing all of my energy on my Ishbal war fic instead. Hopefully this was worth the wait.

* * *

**Hot Coffee:**

"ACHOOO!"

"Stupid Briggs winters," mumbled Roy as hit blew his nose. He hated having their joint training sessions up North.

"Are you ok, sir?" asked Riza as they walked down one of the many cold corridors in Fort Briggs.

"Yeah. Just wondering why the hell we had to schedule this joint training in the winter."

"It was the only time that both the East and North were available."

"I know. It was a rhetorical question, Lieutenant."

As they continued their way to Major General Armstrong's office, Roy couldn't help but notice icicles hanging from the ceiling, threatening to fall on an unsuspecting soldier. He shivered. More proof that Fort Briggs really was an ice castle ruled by an Ice Queen. No wonder General Grumman always conveniently scheduled his vacations to conflict with the trainings whenever they were held in the North.

When they finally reached the General's office they found Major Miles sitting there looking through some papers.

"Ah, Colonel Mustang. Lieutenant Hawkeye," he said, getting up from his seat and saluting.

"Good day, Major Miles. I see Major General Armstrong isn't here yet?"

"No. There was something urgent down in R&D that she had to attend to so she asked me to meet with you instead."

Roy nodded. "I see."

"Anyway, regarding the joint training… Miles picked up a sheet of paper from the desk and began reading it. "We were originally planning on starting it at 1500 hours but a blizzard is starting to form outside so General Armstrong has decided to postpone the training until it's over. She suggests we meet again in two hours to finalize the details." Looking up from the paper, he said, "I hope this won't be too much of an inconvenience for your men."

"Not at all. I'm sure my men would much rather wait than turn into frozen ice sculptures in the blizzard.

Miles grinned. "Good. Then it's settled. We'll meet again at 1400 hours."

"Alright."

Roy turned to leave but just then, a loud sneeze overcame him.

"ACHOOOO!"

"Hold on a minute, Colonel," Miles called out. He walked over to a small stove and picked up a pot resting on top of it. Pouring the coffee into a mug, he handed it to him. "Sounds like you need this, sir."

Roy smiled. "Thanks." He reached out for it but stopped when he remembered something. "Wait…how much is this going to cost me?"

"500 cenz."

"500 CENZ? That's highway robbery!"

The man shrugged. "General Armstrong recommended that price. Said it was a 'special price for Mustang'."

_That bitch_, Roy thought. "I'll pass."

"Suit yourself," Miles said with a small grin. He was about to walk away but Riza stopped him.

"Wait," she called out. She opened her coin purse and counted out several coins. "Here," she said, dropping them in Major Miles's hand. He handed her the cup of coffee. Turning to Roy, she said, "Ok. Let's go, sir." He nodded; surprised that she would pay such an exorbitant price for sub-par coffee.

When they left the office, she handed him the coffee. "Here. Drink it before it gets cold," she ordered.

He tried to hand it back to her. "It's your coffee. You paid for it."

"You haven't had any coffee since we left Eastern HQ. You're starting to go through caffeine withdrawal, sir."

He looked down at the brown liquid and then back at Riza. It was true that he could use a cup of hot coffee at that moment but at the same time so did the Lieutenant. He could see dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep due to all the preparations they had to do prior to arriving and the very uncomfortable train ride here.

"We can share it," he said, holding the cup to her. "You need it as much as I do."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "Sir! If anyone sees us-"

He quickly looked down the corridor. It was deserted. "I don't see anyone. Do you?"

"No…but…"

"It's only coffee. It's not like I'm asking you to do something immoral." Spying a bench propped up against the wall, he walked over to it and sat down. He gently patted the spot next to him. "Don't make me order you to sit down."

Sighing in resignation, Riza sat down next to him. Roy grinned as he took a large gulp of coffee. He could feel himself warming up and the caffeine starting to kick in while he passed the cup to her. She took a sip before passing it back to him. They continued like this for a while until the coffee was gone. Afterwards, they sat there listening to the howling wind outside.

After a while, Roy finally spoke. "You know how the law of this place is 'Survival of the fittest'? Well, I've been thinking. I probably couldn't survive here."

Riza smiled. "Probably not. The Major General would see to that."

He chuckled. "That's true. She would probably find some way to kill me and make it look like an accident. But ignoring that fact, the bad food, freezing temperatures, and lack of female personnel here would drive any normal guy insane. I don't know how the Briggs men can stand it here."

"I'm sure they've found ways to cope."

"Probably," Roy muttered, leaning back against the wall. "But either way, I would hate to be transferred here."

Riza didn't say anything. She just sat there looking at the empty mug in her hands. "I'm sure it's not that bad once you get used to it here. And besides, if by chance you ever did get transferred here I can always request to transfer with you as your bodyguard."

He looked over at her. "You'll really do that?"

She nodded. "I promised I'd watch your back. I can't do that if I'm hundreds of kilometers away. Not to mention, you can't seem to survive without me," she added with a small smirk.

He smirked. "I can't do a lot of things without you," he said, resting his hand on hers. "And other things aren't nearly as enjoyable without you," he whispered in her ear, causing her to blush.

"Careful, Colonel. There could be Drachma spies listening to us," she teased.

"That's quite alright. I'm done talking," he replied as he leaned in closer. She tilted her head and their lips barely touched when the sound of distant footsteps broke the silence. Roy quickly pulled away and turned around just in time to see two soldiers appear from around the corner. _Dammit! So close, _he thought. Turning back to Riza, he murmured, "It's getting chilly here. Let's finish our 'conversation' somewhere else." She nodded. He stood up and offered her his hand. "If you're interested, we can go get some more coffee. This time, it'll be my treat."

"I'd like that," Riza smiled as she took his hand. He pulled her up and they quietly walked side by side down the hall.


End file.
